Wang Yi Meets with Foreign Minister Taro Kono of Japan

2017/09/22

On September 21, 2017 local time, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Foreign Minister Taro Kono of Japan on the sidelines of his attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Wang Yi expressed that 2017 witnesses the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. The two countries should summarize experience, stay true to the original commitments, well safeguard political foundation and well handle sensitive issues. On this basis, both sides should also look into the future and regard each other as partners instead of rivals, opportunities instead of threats. As long as political foundation is consolidated and correct cognition is formed, China-Japan relations will move forward healthily and stably, and benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

Wang Yi pointed out that Japan formed the "Peace Constitution" after the war, and established Three Non-Nuclear Principles. These legal guarantees enabled the international community to accept Japan again and created conditions for Japan's post-war development. In regard to the doubt from all parties that whether Japan adheres to the path of peaceful development, it is necessary for Japan to show its attitude to the world.

Taro Kono expressed that Japan is willing to take the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to make concerted efforts with China to overcome difficulties facing bilateral relations, timely carry out high-level exchanges and start institutional dialogue, so as to advance bilateral relations for gradual improvement. Taro Kono stressed that Japan will uphold the "Peace Constitutional" spirit and stick to Three Non-Nuclear Principles. These basic principles and stances never changed and will not change.

With regard to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Wang Yi expressed that as the Korean Peninsula is under mounting tension, all parties should keep calm, spare no efforts to cool down the situation, and turn the pressure of sanction into the incentive of negotiation at a proper time. Wang Yi said that implementing sanction is the resolution of the UN Security Council, so is resuming peace talks. It will be considered a breach of the UN Security Council's resolution if the Japanese side talks about sanction without mentioning dialogue, or even opposes dialogue. It is hoped that Japan could speak and act cautiously and play a constructive role in the Peninsula nuclear issue instead of running into the opposite direction. Taro Kono expressed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's advancement of nuclear missile program has posed a real threat to regional peace and Japan's security. Japan stands ready to work with China and all other parties to staunchly facilitate the goal of denuclearization of the Peninsula.